Fun Fact Friday: Apple-icious

The crabapple (or “winter banana,” as apples were called in colonial times) is the only apple native to North America. Apples are members of the rose family, and most apples are still hand-picked. It takes about two pounds of those hand-picked apples to make one nine-inch apple pie.
Visit urbanext.illinois.edu for more fun facts [...]

Fun Fact Friday: Women Voters

On October 23, 1915, twenty-five thousand women marched in New York City demanding the right to vote. Women came from every state and 24 countries to attend this event.
Let’s thank God that now, 94 years later, we don’t have to fight for our voices to be heard, and let’s strive to use that privilege [...]

Fun Fact Friday: World’s Largest Pumpkin

The world’s largest pumpkin weighed 1,689 pounds!
And the largest pumpkin pie weighed 2,020 pounds, and had to be baked in a custom-made oven for five hours. (Go here for more details.)
For fun ideas on how to use a pumpkin (including turning it into a vase!), read this article.
What is your favorite pumpkin craft or [...]

Fun Fact Friday: Leaves

Leaves have just as much yellow pigment in July when they are green as they do in October when they are yellow. In July the darker green pigment just masks the yellow color, making the leaves appear greener.
For more facts about leaves, visit ncnatural.com.
Craft idea: take a nature hike with your kids and gather a [...]

Fun Fact Friday: Popcorn Popping October!

October is National Popcorn Popping month!
Air popped popcorn only has 31 calories per cup and is a member of the grass family. Most U.S. popcorn is grown in the Midwest, including kernels that can pop up to three feet high!
Go here to read more fun facts about popcorn. Activities about popcorn, including coloring [...]

Fun Fact Friday: Free museum entry across the nation!

Tomorrow (September 26) is National Museum Day! Visit smithsonianmag.com for details, and check out their venue page to find a participating location near you. Many museums participate in this day, even without a pass, and will allow guests to visit for free, so check online or call your local museum for details. [...]

Fun Fact Friday: Play-Doh

September 18 is National Play-Doh Day!
Play-Doh started out at one color (off-white) in a 1.5-pound can. By 1983, there were eight colors, and in 2006, Play-Doh’s 50th anniversary was celebrated with 50 different colors of Play-Doh!
If your play-doh starts to dry out, there’s hope in reviving it! Just wrap it in a damp [...]

Fun Fact Friday: School’s In!

The first public school was founded in Boston, Massachusetts, in April 1635 and all students were required to take three to four years of Latin! Public schools, however, didn’t become mainstream education until the mid 1800s. Most people received their instruction, including college instruction, at home until that time.
For more information, visit infoplease.com, [...]

Fun Fact Friday: Labor Day… Tuesday?

The very first Labor Day was held on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City and was complete with a parade, picnic, concert, and several speeches. Labor Day was moved to a Monday shortly after this, and became a national holiday in 1894.
Visit americaslibrary.gov for more details.
Craft idea: Ask your children what they [...]

Fun Fact Friday, Coming Soon!

Welcome to Fun Fact Friday! Lisa had the idea to post a random, fun fact every Friday, and I gladly took her idea and ran with it! We’d love for you to join us each Friday as we share a fun fact you can share with your friends and kids. Many weeks [...]